If it don't have wheel's, it ain't a sport...episode # 11 -Jim's
Performance Transmissions.
by Phil Veldheer
JPT is short for Jim's Performance Transmissions, it is owned and
operated by Jim Paquet of Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Jim turns the big
five-oh this year and has been building and rebuilding transmissions
since he was 14 years old. His business is not only done in the United
States, but the world over. Jim has shipped transmissions to Mexico,
Sweden, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Germany, Australia, Canada and South
America just to name a few. What drives people to ship there
transmissions to JPT? After spending time at his near 7000 square foot
shop, its easy to see why. How many transmissions shows can you go to
where you can eat off the floor? JPT is spotless.
Jim has 4 employees and a large percent of what they work on is racing
related, however if you need ANY KIND of transmission, manual or
automatic restored or rebuilt, HE CAN DO IT. Being this close to
Lansing, home of Oldsmobile, he has done many of them. He was also seen
looking at all the Oldsmobiles at last years Blowout in Lansing.
At last years season ending NHRA invitational at Indy, his transmissions
were winner and runner-up in Super Stock and runner-up in stock. Looking
at the many photos on the walls you will see many NHRA and IHRA class
winners and record holders along with winners in NMCA and NSCA. Jim is a
sponsor at al NHRA Open events and pays contingency at those events,
however if you win a major event with his JPT logo on your race car he'll
pay you. He pays winners in NHRA, IHRA, NMCA and NSCA.
Jim and his group build and maintain 1000 transmissions a year. Jim also
builds and rebuilds convertors and does about 350 of those per year.
All done one at a time with a lot of attention to detail. He does all
brands of transmissions and builds full "rollers"for all of them. That
process is one Jim originated many years ago. That is, to take out all
the main thrust washers throughout the transmission and put in needle
bearings. In addition, Jim will send you most of the parts in you want
to do it yourself.
Photo 1 shows an engine dyno that since 1991 EVERY transmission that has
left JPT has been bolted to and tested before it leaves the shop.
Impressive.
Photo 2 shows Jim in front of his massive CNC Machine with a solid piece
of billet aluminum on top and a completely machined valve body in his
other hand. Each piece made is perfect.
Photo 3 shows Jim with another piece of billet aluminum in his right hand
and in his left is another finished drum for one of his many
applications. Jim sells a lot of these. Give him a call and order one,
two or three of these for your racing transmission.
Photo 4 shows a custom built input shaft and a custom output shaft for a
C-4 transmission. Also visible is a custom built aluminum servo. Jim
also makes bell housings for Ford FE engines, planetary gear sets,
separator plates, deep pans, splines for a C-4 to a turbo, C-4 to a
glide, torqueflite to a powerglide, but the one that surprised me was the
one size fits all bellhousing that bolts to ANY GM engine with a Ford
Automatic bolted to it. Jim offered " its easier and less expensive to
change gear ratios in the Ford trans".
By working as hard as Jim does, it allows him to play just as hard. At
home, you'll see him either restoring a Harley or a Cushman. Or you
might see him at the drag strip with his 1997 Dodge Dakota Club cab. He
is the IHRA record holder in FT/SA and he is in the process of updating
it to a 1999. Jim can be reached at 517-663-0578 monday thru Friday or
mail goes to 320 Hamman, Eaton Rapids MI 48827
For technical specs on Phil's cars,
check out his page in the 442.com Virtual Car Show.
Questions, comments, ideas, please e-mail me at 455@i2k.com
Phil Veldheer Racing
Holland MI USA
78 Cutlass 10.39, 87 442 10.83-87, 442 11.68